Full Circle
by Carrot The LuvMachine
Summary: The sequel to Draw a Circle. On the day of her third birthday, little Emma Kirkland Jones makes a wish for a playmate, but will she wind up with much more than she bargained for? USUK, Franada, and other minor couples. Mpreg.
1. Chapter 1

**Draw a Circle: Mou Ichi Dou!**

_Chapter One_

Soft lips pressed gently up against his own, the feeling of another body on top of his pushing him further into the mattress below him. A contented sigh passed through his lips along with the smallest of moans which did not go unnoticed by the American above. Youthful sky blue eyes grinned down at him as his lover pulled back to admire the man underneath him.

"I thought you said you didn't want this," Alfred whispered, his lips hovering over the Briton's ear. "Thought it wasn't 'proper'."

Arthur's eyes snapped shut, his hands curling into fists and his body struggled to suppress the shiver that ran up his spine as Alfred blew hot air into his ear. Despite the fact that his body was screaming for this, his mind remained firm, ever the gentleman. "We should really be checking on her. She's bound to wake up any second."

Alfred's signature puppy dog pout made its appearance, blue eyes growing larger in size as the American's bottom lip protruded and quivered ever so slightly. "Aww, Iggy," He was whining. Arthur hated it when he whined. "We never get to do this anymore."

"We just did last night," Arthur protested, emerald green eyes opening to stare up at the pouting American. Honestly, sometimes he thought he had two children.

"But that was last night," Alfred pouted, shifting his weight so that he wouldn't crush the smaller nation. "I meant we never have sex in the mornings anymore."

"And why do you suppose that is?"

"Because you're a grump."

He should have expected the glare he was given. He was quite used to it by now. That being said, he also should have known that a lecture was coming his way. Arthur never failed to deliver. "No, Alfred," he began slowly, as if speaking with a two year old. "It's because we have a child to tend to. She can't feed and clothe herself yet, so we have to be mature and do it for her. You can't expect me to lay around in bed doing whatever I damn well please while my daughter is out there starving for breakfast, can you?"

"She isn't starving," Alfred countered.

"You know what I mean," Arthur gently pushed Alfred off of him, sitting up straight in bed. "We have a responsibility now."

Alfred seemed to think on this for a few seconds before offering Arthur a genuine smile. A pair of strong arms came up to encircle the island nation around the waist, pulling him close. "She's the greatest responsibility ever."

Arthur's lips curled into a smile, embracing his husband back and leaning against his firm body. He really did feel like going back to sleep since Alfred had kept him up most of the night, but he had to get up and face the day. "Then I suppose that means you'll be helping me out today?"

Alfred gave a nod and kissed Arthur between his massive eyebrows. "'Course! It's what heroes do!"

Arthur had opened his mouth with a retort ready on the tip of his tongue, but the sound of the door hinges creaking had broken his concentration. Both nations turned to look over at the source of the noise, finding a disheveled soon-to-be three year old standing in the doorway, her stuffed unicorn clutched tightly in her hands. She rubbed sleepily at her eyes, staring back at her parents shyly, as if she wondered if she was interrupting something.

"Em!" Alfred was out of bed in a flash. He flew to the doorway and scooped their child into his arms, doing some fancy aerial maneuvers with her before coming in for a landing on the bed next to her mother. "Happy birthday, baby!"

Emma's laughter rang through the bedroom as she soared through the air like a plane, bouncing on the bed beside her mummy only to jump back to her feet and smile widely at her parents. "Thank you, daddy!" she cheered, giving a toothy grin.

Arthur smiled and held his arms out, waiting for Emma to run to him, which she did with eagerness. He kissed her soft cheek and stroked her wavy, golden hair, his smile widening with the amount of giggles escaping his daughter. "Happy birthday, love."

"Thanks, mummy!" Emma chirped, pulling back to plop back down on the bed. She placed Winston the unicorn in her lap, running her tiny fingers through his knotted mane. "The fairies woke me up! They said happy birthday and left lots of dust all over my room!" She spread her arms out wide for emphasis.

A weak laugh escaped Arthur, knowing that he would now have one more room to clean before the party that afternoon. "Did they now? I hope you were well mannered around them."

"Yup!"

Alfred took a seat back on the bed, reaching out to ruffle his daughter's hair. He had decided against protesting the existence of the fairies, seeing as he was now outnumbered. He was shocked to say the least the first time Emma had seen one of Arthur's mythical friends. At first he thought she might have been suffering from a fever or perhaps food poisoning (something she had to deal with every time Arthur insisted he had finally gotten a recipe right), but when it started becoming an almost daily occurrence he could no longer fight it. Arthur had practically taken a victory lap around the property, shouting the existence of fairies to the world and cackling madly (the neighbors now questioned his sanity even more than they had previously) only to later shove it in Alfred's face in the privacy of their bedroom.

"Are you ready for breakfast, Emma?"

"Can we have pancakes?" Emma asked, turning her gorgeous eyes on her mother. Certain things about her reminded Arthur a lot of Matthew and perhaps that was why the two got along so well. At least she was a well mannered child and had outgrown a lot of her Alfred-like tendencies. Arthur was positive she would become a beautiful young lady some day, one that he would be proud to show off to everyone.

"Sure! It's your birthday, Ems, so you get to choose." Alfred replied, leaning in to kiss his daughter on the nose (earning a squeal of delight from the three year old).

The ringing of the phone interrupted their family moment, causing Emma's face to light up the instant she heard it. "I'll get it!" she cried as she practically flew from the bedroom like a puppy chasing after a tennis ball. She sped down the stairs, ignoring her mother's shouts to be careful, and skidded into the kitchen to grab the phone off the table and jam the on button with her thumb.

"Hello?"

A soft voice answered her from the other end of the line. "Happy birthday, Emma!"

The biggest smile imaginable broke out on her face and she practically shouted back into the receiver. "Uncle Matty!"

The Canadian nation laughed happily back at her. "I hope you're having a good birthday so far. Uncle Francis and I should be over soon."

Emma swayed on her feet, nearly dropping the phone from excitement. "The fairies gave me lots of dust, Uncle Matty!"

"Did they? That's real neat, eh?"

"Mmhmm! And daddy and I are gonna make pancakes for breakfast!" Emma began walking in circles, her little feet slapping lightly against the wooden floor of the kitchen.

Alfred entered the room and smiled down at her, placing a hand on her head to get her attention. "Who is it, Ems?"

"It's Uncle Matty! Wanna talk?" Emma held the phone up to her father, who took it and pressed it to his ear.

"Yo, little bro!" Alfred greeted, crossing the kitchen to start on the pancakes. Emma quickly followed after him, helping to get the ingredients out of the fridge. "What's up?"

"Francis and I just got to the airport. We're getting a taxi now. I just wanted to let you and Arthur know that we would be there soon."

The sound of an egg dropping and hitting the floor caused Emma to jump back with a small scream before she broke out into a giggle fit. Alfred couldn't help but smile at her as he grabbed some paper towels and cleaned the mess up off the floor. "That's great! Iggy and I'll need all the help we can get. Ya know nearly every nation on the planet is comin' over today?"

As usual, Matthew sounded worried about this, the sound of the airport around him nearly drowning out his quiet voice. "I hope Arthur knows how many people you invited, Al."

"Yeah, yeah. He does. It isn't like I'm letting him do the cooking," Alfred took an egg from Emma's hand and cracked it into a bowl before helping his daughter up the step stool. Emma grabbed the whisk and eagerly started mixing the batter while her father held onto the bowl. "We're having the whole thing catered."

"Not by McDonalds, I hope."

"McDonalds isn't the only thing I eat, Matty." Emma giggled at this, eyeing the empty bag of fast food on the kitchen table and accidentally spilling some of the batter down the side of the bowl.

"Right. Well, just let Arthur know that Francis and I will be there in about an hour." Alfred could hear Francis speaking softly to his brother in a language only the two of them could understand, and he felt his skin begin to crawl.

"Sure thing, bro. See ya soon."

"Bye Uncle Matty!" Emma called, standing on her tip toes to get closer to the phone in her father's hands.

"Bye Emma! See you soon!"

Breakfast went off without a hitch and soon the kitchen was spotless once again, leaving Arthur with one less room to clean. He began tackling the task of cleaning the others while Alfred went upstairs with Emma to help her get dressed. Only moments after the two disappeared Emma came skipping down the stairs, humming a happy little tune she had just made up and clutching Winston in her arms.

"Mummy! How do I look?"

Arthur turned around, feather duster in hand as he looked his daughter over from head to toe. She was wearing a frilly green dress, one that showed off her eyes spectacularly. Her hair was tied back in green ribbons which curled with the texture of her locks. She rocked back on her heels and waited for her mother's praise, something he didn't fail to deliver. "Like a princess, Emma."

With that, the birthday girl bolted over to her mother and hugged him around the legs. "Thank you, mummy!"

Alfred came down the stairs moments later, dressed in casual clothing and smirking at the scene before him. "Did I do a good job, Iggy?"

Arthur combed his hands through Emma's hair and smiled over at his husband. "Yes, Alfred, you did. You know, I never really thought you would get the hang of putting on dresses, but you've proven me wrong."

The sound of car doors slamming shut were heard from out front and Emma was up on the couch peeking out the window in an instant. "Uncle Matty and Uncle Francis are here!" she squealed, jumping on the cushions (causing Arthur to cringe inwardly).

Alfred pulled the front door open and practically pulled his brother into the house, wrapping him up in a huge bear hug. "Matty! Long time no see!"

The Canadian gave a startled noise, dropping his suitcase just shy of Emma's foot (the girl had raced over once her uncles appeared). "A-Al! N-Not so hard!"

Francis set his suitcase down and smiled over at Arthur, who simply threw a glare his way. Despite the fact that the two nations saw each other more often lately due to the relationship between Matthew and Francis, Arthur had never gotten over his dislike of the French nation. In fact, one might say that he disliked Francis even more now due to one simple little matter.

"UNCLE FRANCIS!"

"Ah, ma petite niece!" Francis took Emma into his arms, sweeping her off her feet and standing up with her. "You look very beautiful today." He kissed her cheek, causing her to go into another giggle fit as his beard brushed against her skin.

Arthur was inwardly seething, his fists clenching and his teeth grinding together. Out of all the nations in the world, why did Emma have to be most attached to Francis? Arthur really began to wonder if someone up there had put a curse on him; first getting him pregnant, going through the pregnancy, delivery, finding out that Emma was a practical Alfred clone, and now this! This was some kind of torture, wasn't it?

"So, how can I help?" Matthew asked, adjusting his glasses once Alfred released him from his choke hold.

At least Matthew was still nice to him. Bless his little heart. "You can help me set up the food outside while Alfred readies the tables and decorations."

"I guess that leaves me to watch after Emma, oui?" Francis smiled at the toddler and began carrying her outside. "Let us go play hide and seek then!"

"Yaaaay!"

Arthur inwardly cursed that French bastard.

The guests began arrive at two o'clock on the dot, coming from nearly every corner of the globe and carrying presents big and small for Emma. The three year old greeted everyone as politely as possible, even going so far as curtseying for a few (such as Austria and the more sophisticated nations). The females squealed over Emma's outfit and matching bows, giving her far more attention than she needed. She politely conversed with them the best she could but eventually made a bee-line for her Uncle Francis.

"Are the girls borin' ya, kid?" Gilbert asked, munching on a few chips and bending down to Emma's level.

Emma shook her head, hiding behind Francis's leg slightly and looking Gilbert over. He always looked menacing to her and never really paid much attention to her before, but today he had a few drinks in him and seemed to be more cheerful.

"They are simply admiring your beauty," Francis told her, tucking a rose (that he acquired from seemingly out of no where) behind Emma's ear. She gave him a bright smile, a blush spreading across her face.

"Si! I bet they're just jealous, Emma," Antonio blurted out, getting far more excited than he should. "I only wish that the babies I have with Lovi will be as beautiful as you!"

Beside him, Romano was fuming, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "I told you a thousand times, we aren't having any kids, you damn tomato bastard!"

"Lovi! Language! There is un bebito present!"

"She isn't a baby, you moron!"

"She shouldn't be exposed to your bad language."

"She shouldn't be exposed to your _stupidity."_

"_Hey, hey, hey! Can't we all just get along?" Gilbert slung his arms over the Southern Italian and the Spaniard, pulling them close. "This is a celebration, after all!"_

_Emma looked up at her uncles, watching them continue to fight lovingly with one another, and when the opportunity presented itself she snuck away, only to be stopped by yet another nation._

"_Vee! Emma!" her Uncle Feliciano sat on the grass before her, making flower necklaces out of some daisies he had picked. "I'm making you a gift!"_

_Intrigued, Emma sat down beside her most cheerful uncle. She watched his skilled hands work, tying knots that weren't too weak but weren't strong enough to break the stems either. Gathering up a few daisies of her own, Emma tried to copy her uncle's actions, making a chain that was a bit more sloppy than that of the Italian._

_The two conversed as they completed the rings, making as many necklaces as their collection would allow. Feliciano mostly spoke about pasta, while Emma listened and giggled at how happy he sounded. The voices of her arguing uncles drifted to her ears once more, causing a question to surface in her mind. "Uncle Feli?"_

"_Vee?" Feliciano looked over to the girl, his hands stopping their movements. His ahoge blew gently in the wind._

"_If you and Uncle Lovino are twins, why do you act so differently?"_

_Feliciano had to think this over for a moment, his head tilting to the side as chocolate eyes turned to the blue sky up above. "Nii-chan is just always cranky. I never really thought of why before. Maybe he doesn't eat enough pasta." This earned another laugh from the emerald eyed child beside him, causing Feliciano to laugh a bit himself. "But your daddy and his brother aren't very much alike either, right?"_

_Emma stopped her giggling, staring into the sea of nations and quickly locating her timid uncle. Matthew was watching the ones around him talk while he sipped quietly at the drink in his hand. Emma's father, on the other hand, was deep in one of his heroic stories, illustrating his points with wild hand gestures. His voice boomed loudly over all of those around him (Arthur had to elbow him in the ribs a few times to quiet him down). "I guess they aren't."_

_Feliciano gave a thoughtful nod before returning to knotting his daisy stems together. The smile quickly returned to his tanned face, another song coming from pursed lips. The oblivious Italian didn't notice that the young girl beside him had completely abandoned her daisy chain to stare down at her hands in her lap._

"_Uncle Feli, why don't I have a brother or sister?"_

"_Vee?" Feliciano's concentration broke as he stared into slightly saddened emerald eyes._

_Emma fell silent for a minute, observing other members of the party. It seemed each one of them was related to someone else; if not closely then at least distantly. Russia had his sisters, Litchenstein had her big brother, the Italy brothers had each other, and even her father had her Uncle Matty. Emma would be lying if she said she didn't want to experience what it felt like to have a sibling. She felt something tighten in her chest as if her body were getting ready for her to cry, but she refused to resort to such childish behavior (despite actually being a child. Her mother had taught her better than that). "Everyone has a brother or sister…Except me."_

"_You can wish for one!"_

_Lifting her head up, Emma stared curiously over at her uncle. "How?" she chirped, getting easily excited at this new found secret._

"_Vee, with your birthday wish, silly!" Feliciano held up a finger, tapping Emma playfully on the nose with it. "Before you blow out the candles on your cake, you make a wish! If you wish really hard that wish will come true!"_

_Emma felt her heart leap in her chest. Was that really true? She could wish for anything she wanted and it would come true? It was like something out of a bedtime story her mother had read her! She launched herself toward her Italian uncle, hugging him around the neck. "Thank you, Uncle Feli! I'll do that!"_

_The cake was so large that it took up an entire table all to itself (after all, it had to feed all the nations of the world). The words "Happy Birthday Emma" had been spread across it in decorative frosting and giant strawberries perched on the rim, each one evenly spaced apart from the others. Alfred was practically drooling as he held his daughter by his hip, watching Arthur and some of the others light the candles. Emma hooked one of her daisy necklaces around her father's neck and he kissed her cheek, hugging her close and letting her know that she was thankful for the gift._

_The happy birthday chorus sounded atrocious since some of the nations insisted on singing it in the native tongues, each ending at a different time, but Emma didn't care. She laughed and clapped her hands, smiling widely at everyone before Alfred brought her in close to the cake._

"_Make a wish, take a big breath, and blow out the candles, Em!"_

_Emma nodded enthusiastically, closing her eyes and wishing her little heart out. When she thought she had done an efficient job she took a deep breath and blew out as many candles as she could. Alfred and Arthur bent down and helped their daughter blow out the remaining candles as everyone else broke out into applause and cheers._

"_Great job, sweetheart." Arthur whispered, kissing Emma on the cheek and taking her from his husband so that Alfred could cut the cake._

"_I wished really hard, mummy!" Emma exclaimed, throwing her tiny arms around the British nation's neck and hugging onto him._

"_That means your wish'll come true!" Alfred explained, wiping a bit of frosting on the tip of Arthur's nose, which earned him a rather unpleasant scowl._

_Emma could feel her heart soar up high into the clouds like one of her father's toy airplanes. Her wish was going to come true, she just knew it! All she would have to do now was wait patiently until it did._


	2. Chapter 2

**Draw a Circle - Mou Ichido!**

_Chapter 2_

If Alfred thought leaving Arthur had been hard, he never would have imagined how difficult it would be to leave his baby girl. He was going on a business trip back to the States for two weeks, since he had put matters off for an extended period of time to spend with his family. His government had let it slide once he had informed them of the details of his relationship with the embodiment of the United Kingdom, and his President was more than pleased to hear that the nation he represented was now a father. Emma had even spoken with the President of the United States over webcam a few times, though she was rather shy about it until the man started telling her stories about her beloved daddy, then she brightened right up with smiles and pearly laughs.

He had bid her farewell that night, tucking her into her rainbow colored bed sheets and handing her Winston the stuffed unicorn. Emma didn't understand how long two weeks was, but her father reassured her that the time would pass by quickly. Still, just the thought that he would be gone brought tears to her eyes, and Alfred found himself drying her cheeks more than a few times before she eventually tired herself out and fell asleep. He remained by her side, combing his fingers through her curly hair as she slept, wondering how he was blessed with such an angelic daughter.

Arthur stood at the threshold to the room, leaning against the doorframe and doing his best to keep as composed as possible. He could have sworn that his pregnancy hormones never faded, since he found himself crying at things he never used to get upset over. Something about watching his husband lull their daughter to sleep, catching that fond smile on his lips, that was what struck a heart chord within the Briton. Arthur hurriedly wiped his eyes dry as Alfred approached, stepping back and allowing the other into the hallway with him, waiting until he heard the click of Emma's bedroom door close before he spoke. "All right?"

Alfred responded with a nod, though his usual cheery smile didn't accompany it. "She cried a little, and it got to me," he took a minute to compose himself. "But I'll be so busy at home that I won't even have time to think! And you two will have a blast together, right?"

"Right."

"You can do all those mommy and me things that you can't do when daddy's around!" This earned him a playful punch and a grin from his husband. Alfred, of course, just laughed it off, enveloping Arthur in his arms and swaying him from side to side. "I'm gonna miss you like crazy, babe."

Arthur fell silent, holding onto Alfred's arms and nodding. "I'll miss you too…"

When the time came for Alfred to depart, Arthur was in tears, naturally denying the fact that he was crying as he held tight to his husband and gave him a final kiss farewell. Alfred held him for a few moments longer than he normally would have, giving him an extra passionate kiss before making his way to his taxi. The American nation gave a wave and disappeared into the vehicle, knowing Arthur's eyes would be on him until the car was out of sight.

"I love you!" Alfred called as he rolled down the window, sticking his head out and waving.

Before Arthur had the chance to respond, Alfred was well out of hearing range. The British nation sniffled, his hand clasped over his heart as he whispered back his reply. "I love you too…"

* * *

He had never known that lovesickness was a real illness until he was struck with it during Alfred's absence. He and Emma had been fine the first three days, doing all the household chores, preparing dinner together (Emma wasn't too happy about eating her mummy's cooking, but she did so anyway), and playing tea party together. The two even cuddled on the couch and watched a few movies together, filling Alfred's spot up with pillows so that it was as comforting as possible. It wasn't until the forth day that something abnormal happened. Arthur had woken up feeling nauseated that morning, sat up in bed, and stared at the empty space beside him. A shiver ran down his spine, and before he could process what was happening his body was taking him to the bathroom where he bent over the toilet and vomited. Arthur didn't think much of it at first. Last night's dinner had gone disastrously wrong and tasted like something very similar to charcoal (he was quite surprised that Emma stomached as much of it as she did), perhaps it just didn't sit well with him.

It wasn't until it happened a handful more times (at different times in the day, mind you), that Arthur suspected something was up. Perhaps lovesickness really did exist, and his longing for Alfred was causing him to upchuck the contents of his stomach. After all, what else could it be? He wasn't exhibiting any other worrying symptoms. So, being the stubborn man that he was, Arthur pushed the thought to the back of his mind and pressed on with the rest of the day's activities.

Matthew had decided to visit on the ninth day, bringing with him lots of Canadian treats and the promise to cook Emma dinner that night. The green eyed girl cried with joy and hugged her uncle at the thought of delicious food to eat and Arthur frowned deeply, feeling his heart sink. Matthew had caught the look, assuring him that the only reason he had come over here was to visit and that the cooking idea had been entirely Alfred's.

"He called me up last night," Matthew started, gathering the necessary ingredients to make some poutine. "He insisted I come here and make dinner for you guys! Pretty rude, eh?"

Arthur released a sigh as Emma climbed up on her stool, waiting for cooking instructions from her uncle. She was always ready to help cook, ever since her Uncle Francis had first unveiled the wonders of culinary arts to her. Emma jumped at every opportunity to make a meal, unable to wait until she was old enough to cook entirely on her own.

"I suppose he didn't allow you a wink of sleep then," Arthur answered with the roll of his eyes. He muttered curses under his breath. How dare Alfred bother his brother to fly halfway across the world simply to cook a meal for his niece! Did Alfred think that Arthur wasn't capable of feeding his own daughter? The idea was simply preposterous! Arthur and Emma had been getting along fine on British cuisine, aside from a few burnt meals and one tiny kitchen fire (Arthur had to throw away an oven mit which was accidentally left too close to an operating element). "The git."

The smell of the poutine wafted in the air, the grease thick around the stove as Matthew laughed, tending to the meal. "He's a little ridiculous, but he's only doing what he thinks is best."

That was true, Arthur supposed. He sat perched on a chair by the kitchen table, watching Matthew and Emma cook and unintentionally trying to fight off how much the greasy smell was bothering him. Poutine had never bothered him much before, though it was probably worse than some of the creations Alfred came up with. Honestly, how could those two eat such fattening foods and still keep their figures? If Arthur ate food like that on a daily basis, he would surely be obese by now! Just the thought of all of that grease and fat traveling through his system was enough to make him sick to his stomach. Wait a minute, it wasn't just the thought. Cupping a hand to his mouth, Arthur jumped from his seat, hurriedly apologizing to Matthew before darting from the room. "Excuse me just one moment!"

Turning away from the stove, Matthew caught a glimpse of Arthur flying from the room and up the stairs, quickly suspecting the worst. "A-Arthur?"

A few moments passed in silence before the little girl beside him spoke up. "Mummy's been sick since daddy's been gone," Emma chirped, looking worriedly up at her uncle.

Matthew's deep blue eyes quickly met Emma's emerald ones, bending down to her level to try and get her to elaborate on the matter. Arthur's been sick and he hadn't said anything to him? Did he not want him to worry about it? Maybe he kept quiet because he had Emma as a responsibility and couldn't afford to take a sick day. "What's wrong with mummy, Emma?"

"Uhm," Emma took a big breath. "He goes in the bathroom and throws up sometimes after we eat. He doesn't think I know, but I do." She was a clever girl, really, to keep her knowledge to herself, though the real reason Emma was afraid to confront Arthur about it was because she was afraid that maybe her mother was much more sick than she thought (like that time Emma had a stomach virus and had been bed ridden for three days).

"Throwing up?" Matthew repeated, something clicking in his brain at the combination of the symptom and Arthur involved with one another. Matthew was instantly reminded of a time three years ago when he thought he had strayed into a dream. His former father and his brother were so happy, though they had no idea how this miracle had been bestowed upon them. But, that was a one time thing. Arthur had informed all of them at the first World Conference he was healthy enough to attend after giving birth to his daughter that it was all thanks to magic that Emma was able to be created. Some nations protested the existence of the magical beings that had granted this ability to the United Kingdom and the United States. Others were highly disappointed, their hopes in creating children with their lovers dashed. Arthur had felt terrible during that meeting. He had something the others didn't, something they could never have, the greatest gift two lover could have. Only he and Alfred would experience the joys of parenthood, and Emma would forever remain the only child to be born from two nations.

Looking down at his niece once more, Matthew placed his hands on her small shoulders. "I'm going to go check on mummy and have a little talk with him," he explained, being sure not to sound the least bit afraid. If Emma sensed the worry in her uncle, she too would get upset and fear for her mother's health. "The food has to cool anyway before we can eat it. You were such a big help! Why don't you go watch some television before we're ready for dinner, eh?"

Giving an angelic smile, Emma nodded and giggled, her worries temporarily forgotten. She waited for her Uncle Matthew to help her down from the stool, receiving a pat on the head before taking off to the sitting room and pulling herself on the couch. Winston had obediently waited for her there, so she took him into her arms and turned on her favorite show, sitting back to watch it.

After moving the food off of the element to cool, Matthew poked his head into the sitting room, watching Emma to make sure she was distracted enough. Seeing as she was, the Canadian tiptoed upstairs, walking into Arthur's bedroom and finding the bathroom door slightly ajar. Crossing the room, Matthew pushed the door open and hesitantly stepped inside. He found Arthur seated on the floor beside the toilet, his back against the wall and his skin looking sickly pale. Droplets of sweat slid down from his forehead and he brushed them aside, unaware of Matthew's presence until the Canadian nation spoke up.

"A-Arthur?…"

Startled, the Briton's head snapped up; wide, startled, emerald eyes locking onto the blonde who was approaching him. Before he had a chance to tell him not to, Matthew was kneeling beside him, worriedly staring him in the face with those huge eyes of his.

"Are you alright?"

How was he to answer that question? No, he wasn't alright. This had been happening to him for days on end and it wasn't lightening up in the least! In fact, it only seemed to be getting worse, seeing as now it didn't just happen in the morning when he awoke to find that he was alone in his bed. Arthur wouldn't admit that he thought this was something much bigger than lovesickness, though he knew it to be true. "Yes," he quickly lied, feeling terrible the moment the word left his lips. "Yes, I'm quite alright. Must have been something I ate."

Matthew gave him a calculating stare, not believing him in the least. "I'm not Alfred," he started. "I'm not going to believe you just because you're too stubborn to admit the truth." He saw Arthur's eyes slant into a glare and knew a retort was coming, but cut him off before he had the chance to snap at him. "Tell me what's been going on. Emma's worried, you know."

Now that was just playing dirty; using his own child's emotions against him. Arthur's glare quickly melted, giving way to a very guilty expression as he worried his bottom lip and stared ahead of him at the toilet. He relaxed back against the wall with a heavy sigh. If there was anyone he could trust, it was Matthew. "I've been sick to my stomach lately. At first I had figured it was because I was upset that Alfred has been away for so long," he gave a false laugh, glaring at the bathroom tiles. "I felt like some lovesick teenager whose boyfriend had gone overseas on vacation. Alfred and I haven't been apart since we had discovered I was pregnant with Emma." There was a pause as Arthur collected himself, pushing his thoughts of Alfred aside to get to the matter at hand. He lifted his head and looked Matthew in the eyes worriedly. "I'm starting to doubt this little illness is something as simple as lovesickness."

His heart feeling heavy in his chest, Matthew took a seat next to Arthur, the silence doing nothing to aid his nerves. It was true; he wasn't stupid. He knew what was going on here, and he was pretty sure Arthur did as well. "You should take a test."

Silence fell between the pair of them once again, Arthur being the one to break it. He stood, straightening his clothes and wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. For a moment, it seemed as if he was going to walk straight passed Matthew and out of the room, but he stopped just short of the doorway and looked back at the blonde boy. "I know."

Matthew gave a smile.

* * *

An extra item was added to the grocery list the next morning and it had been Emma's job to hang onto the list while the two shopped. Emma sat in the front of their shopping kart, kicking her feet and humming a happy tune as she stared around at all the items around her. Winston had accompanied her, of course, and he had also gotten a seat in the front of the kart right beside her. Emma was always happy to go along on shopping trips, even if they were to boring places like the grocery store. She loved to spend time with her parents and help out in any way she could, and it made her feel like such a big girl when she was given the all too important job of holding onto the list of items they needed. Arthur had praised her multiple times for doing such a good job in helping him out as they made their way down each of the aisles.

He had left the worst for last. After they had collected all the groceries, they rolled down into that uncomfortable aisle of the store, stopping in front of a certain section that Arthur honestly would have never expected to find himself in twice. He pulled a few boxes off the shelves, reading the backs and judging which seemed the most dependable. Selecting the best three he could find, he deposited them into the kart and sped off down the aisle as quickly as he could. Emma gave a happy squeal at the speed they were going, clutching onto Winston and being sure not to lose the list. Thankfully, she hadn't asked any questions about the mysterious last item they had picked up.

Self check out was a must for today. Arthur didn't feel like receiving strange looks from a clerk who would ring him up. He was perfectly capable of doing it himself, anyway. He scanned his items, gave the machine the amount of money it required, and bagged his items before anyone had a chance to look them over. His heart seemed to calm once they were concealed within their bags, wheeling the kart back out into the parking lot to pack everything into the car.

He scooped Emma up out of the kart, buckling her into her car seat and handing Winston to her. Arthur then took the kart back to the kart rack (it was the gentlemanly thing to do) and returned to the driver's seat. He looked back at Emma through the rearview mirror and cast a fake smile. "Ready to go home, love?"

"Yeah!"

Now all he would have to do was wait until nightfall when Emma was safely tucked into her bed.

* * *

It was a dark, dreary night when Alfred's plane touched down in London, the fog separating the closer he got to the ground. He could practically hear his heart beating through the fabric of his shirt; like a hammer against cloth, almost loud enough to give him a headache. The American didn't have too much time to worry about it as he was busy getting through the airport and navigating his way to the nearest taxi he could catch. He stopped at Starbucks, picking up a large cup of coffee before stepping into the cab and giving the driver the directions he knew all too well to the house where his lover and child were waiting for him.

It had been far too long since he had last seen the place, though he assumed it didn't look any different than when he had last left it (he couldn't quite tell, what with it being so dark and all). Hastily, he paid the cab driver, telling him to keep the change as he collected his bags from the trunk and practically sprinted up the drive. Keys never seemed to work when you really needed them to. It took Alfred three tries to get the proper key, and then at least a minute of fumbling before the door unlocked. He pushed it open and let himself in only to be met by darkness. Had Arthur forgotten that tonight was the night he was due home?

Silently, he deposited his bags on the floor and toed out of his shoes, hanging his bomber jacket up on the coat rack (God forbid Arthur spot him throwing it on the couch again and have a hernia) as a soft sound caught his ears. Turning and inspecting the room the best he could, he noticed the sleeping form of his lover on the couch, a smile touching his lips.

Arthur was asleep on his back, head propped up on a pillow, a book laying open on his stomach. One hand grazed the floor while the other held the pages of his reading material open. He looked so worn out. Alfred was unable to contain his excitement, his smile growing bigger by the second as he knelt down beside the couch and gently ran a hand through the Briton's choppy hair. The moment he touched Arthur's cheek a jolt went through his body giving him an eerie sense of déjà vu. He shook the feeling off, smiling once again and leaning in to plant a kiss on Arthur's separated lips.

"Mnn…" Arthur shifted on the couch, the book falling and landing on the floor with a soft thud. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter. His hand came up to bat Alfred's away as if he were a mere insect. "Bugger off…"

"Really, Iggy, that isn't very gentlemanly."

His eyes shot open in an instant. Was he dreaming? Or was Alfred actually beside him, caressing his cheek and smiling down at him with that stupid face of his? "Alfred?"

"Well, it's not the Easter bunny," Alfred leaned in and kissed Arthur again. This time he was rewarded when the island nation's lips moved against his own, frail arms coming up to encircle Alfred's neck and pull him down closer.

"I've missed you…" Arthur murmured, a hint of sleep still evident in his voice.

"I missed you too." Alfred whispered back. He ran the back of his hand up and down Arthur's cheek, staring down lovingly at him. "What did I miss?"

Arthur stared back as the fog from his mind slowly began to lift. The events of the past two weeks came flooding back to him in a rush of words and images, but instead of looking panicked as he rightly should, a soft smile graced Arthur's lips. Alfred quirked a brow, unable to quit smiling back like a doofus even though he hadn't a clue what they were smiling about. He decided to ask.

"What're we smiling about?"

It was now or never. Arthur reached out, taking Alfred's hand from his cheek and moving it down to rest upon his stomach. A moment of silence passed between the two of them. Why was Alfred's heart beating so quickly? The smile quickly faded from his face as he stared into Arthur's eyes. He knew that expression, that spark, that gentle twinkle that resided in those emerald orbs. He had seen it only once before on a day he would never forget; the day their daughter was born.

Oceanic blue eyes flew wide open as Alfred's breath hitched. Some wires had connected in his brain, giving him the ability to put together the puzzle that lay before him. Suddenly it was all so clear. Suddenly he knew what was going on despite not knowing that there was anything he didn't understand to begin with.

"Y-You're-"

Arthur nodded.

"H-How long have you-"

"A few days after you left."

"W-When did you-"

"Yesterday."

"Y-You're sure it's-"

"Alfred?" The American opened his mouth to reply when Arthur commanded. "Shut up and kiss me."

So he did.

* * *

A/N: I know, I know. This took twenty billion years for me to get done and I apologize (my cat is sitting between me and my laptop right now. Everyone say hi to Alphonse!) If you'd like to know why I've neglected updating this just check out my LJ account where I've been venting about all the stupid things that have been going on in my life.

I've just started school but thankfully I only have Japanese class so I'll most likely be able to update more frequently! I've just had to deal with so much lately and yatta yatta. Also, I haven't a clue where this story is going. I mean, I have a general idea, since all mpregs tend to go in the same direction. But other than that, I'm clueless.

Before anyone asks: the child already has a name, personality, and look. All of it had been planned in advance. No need to ask about it, cause no one is getting answers! You'll just have to wait and see!

I'll try and update again ASAP! Thanks so much for sticking with me, guys!


	3. Chapter 3

His stomach lurched as the plane dipped again causing Arthur to shut his eyes tightly, concentrating on fighting off the nausea building up inside of him. Beside him, Alfred gave him a worried look, taking his attention off of Emma who was currently busy gazing into the clouds. "I-I'll be right back." Clumsily, the British nation got to his feet and stumbled down the aisle of the plane, feeling the bile creeping up his throat at an alarming pace. Miraculously, he reached the plane's lavatory just in time to crouch over the toilet and be sick. Wonderful. Not only did he have morning sickness but now it seemed his pregnancy had thrown him a curveball-motion sickness.

Hacking and coughing, he shook slightly as he waited for the nausea to pass. Arthur had decided long ago during his first pregnancy that he would never take his gentlemanly manners into consideration, for his manliness had all but sprouted wings and flown out the window. He took gulping breaths, staring into the black hole that was the toilet, wishing Alfred could be there to help him to his feet, but he would rather die than have his little girl see him like this. Emma was far too happy for Arthur to drag her down even the tiniest degree. He remembered the day they had finally told her the news-it was still very clear in his mind.

"_You can't go rushing right into it."_

"_I know."_

"_You need to give her time to adjust to it. Slowly build up to it."_

"_I know, Iggy."_

"_She'll be shocked if we just come right out and say-"_

"_Arthur!" Alfred gripped his husband by the shoulders, surprising him and causing his green eyes to go wide. The American gave the Briton a gentle smile. "It isn't like I'm doing this alone."_

_Realization seemed to finally sink in as Arthur's sanity came back to him. Releasing a sigh, he shook his head and rubbed circles into his temple with his thumb and forefinger. "Sorry. I got carried away." Alfred had been about to make a sarcastic remark, but thought better of it when he noticed how nervous Arthur seemed to be. "I just don't want to shock her…"_

_Leaning in, Alfred gently kissed his partner's lips, lingering there a second longer than was necessary. When he pulled back, the two were looking directly into each other's eyes, nervous smiles on both their faces. "She'll be fine."_

_Heart pounding in his head, Arthur nodded. He took a deep breath and reached for the doorknob to his daughter's room, slowly turning it and peering inside. Emma sat on her bed, her feet hanging over the edge, eyes concentrated on the sketchbook that looked far too large in her lap. Every few seconds she would lift her head to look at something in the air, then her focus would return fully to the large sheet of paper. The crayon in her hand would move across it, recreating what she saw. _

"_Emma? May we come in?"_

_Nodding, the young girl didn't take her eyes off the sketchpad. Arthur opened the door and stepped inside, crossing the room to sit down beside Emma. He looked over at the large sheet of paper to discover a beautiful crayon drawing of a fairy, floating in mid-air and holding a pose. Emma had recently discovered that with a bit of coaxing and pleading she could get the fairies to pose for her, giving her the opportunity to have models to draw. She was becoming quite good at it, actually._

_Alfred stared at the empty space in the air that his daughter was so fascinated with, feeling slightly nervous as he took a seat on Emma's other side. "We've got some exciting news for ya, Emma bear."_

_At this, the blonde-haired girl finally lifted her head. She stared up into her father's eyes, her own gleaming with excitement. "Really? What?"_

_For one brief moment, Arthur hesitated. Should they really be telling her this soon? He was sure he could get away with a couple more months before she started asking questions. What if she didn't take it as well as they thought she would? What if she felt she was being replaced? No. No, Emma would never think that. She knew just how important she was to her parents. They had risked so much for her, changed their lives completely to bring her into the world. Emma would never see this as something negative-an attack on her security in this house._

_Clearing his throat, Arthur reached out and stroked the curly blonde hair on his daughter's head. Leisurely, she leaned up against his side, looking between her parents and wondering when she would find out the exciting news. Arthur didn't intend to keep her waiting very long. "Emma, have you ever wanted someone to play with?"_

_Pursing her lips, Emma thought this over for a minute before gripping tightly to her father and mother's hands. "I have you and my uncles and aunts to play with!"_

_Alfred chuckled at this, his heart soaring. "Yeah, you do. But didn't you ever want someone who wasn't old?"_

_Someone who wasn't old? Emma really didn't think her parents and the other nations were that old, though she had a lot to learn about them. _

"_Have you ever wanted someone your age to play with?" Arthur questioned, slowly easing into the discussion._

_At that, Emma's emerald eyes lit up. She nodded enthusiastically, curls bouncing everywhere. "Yeah! That would be fun!"_

_Fun. Oh, thank God. At least she wasn't opposed to the idea of playing with someone closer to her age. Arthur took another deep breath, failing to notice how the tips of his fingers had gone cold. He squeezed his daughter's hand and smiled warmly at her. "What if daddy and I told you that you were going to have someone to play with in just a couple of months?"_

_Curious, green eyes blinked up at him as Emma's smile grew even larger. She was about to tell them just how happy that would make her when her mother continued and posed yet another ground-breaking question._

"_What if daddy and I told you…that you're going to have a baby brother or sister?"_

_That conversation she had had with her Uncle Feliciano instantly flashed through her mind, and her entire face lit up. Emma leapt to her feet, staring wildly from her father to her mother. "You mean my wish worked? I'm going to have a baby brother or sister to play with just like how daddy has Uncle Matty?"_

"_Yup!" Alfred answered without thinking. Emma leapt into his arms, tackling him to his back on the bed. He burst out laughing and hugged her close to his chest._

_Arthur furrowed his brows, staring at the empty air where his daughter had been moments prior. "Wish?" he repeated, seemingly stunned. "What wish?"_

"_My birthday wish!" Emma chirped, sitting up on her father's chest and smiling widely. "Uncle Feli told me that if I wished for something really hard before blowing out the candles then it would come true. And it did!"_

_Arthur and Alfred's eyes connected for a mere second before the Briton whipped his head around to look for the fairy that had previously been in the room with them, but the fae was already gone, leaving nothing in her wake but a small pile of pixie dust._

With shaky legs, Arthur rose from his spot on the ground beside the toilet and finished up in the bathroom. He felt that all of the energy (and food) in his body had finally been spent, which perhaps meant that he would be able to sleep for the duration of the trip. He crept slowly back down the aisle and collapsed into his seat, releasing a sigh of exhaustion.

"You okay?" Alfred asked, frowning heavily and staring at him with worried eyes. Emma had fallen asleep leaning against the window.

Arthur turned his head so that he could look somewhat properly at Alfred. His green eyes were so tired, deep bags underneath them. The morning sickness was effecting him much worse the second time around. "I'll be fine once we touch down."

Luckily, he didn't have to wait that much longer.

They were lucky enough to have booked a room across the street from where the conference would be held the following morning, and Alfred was kind enough to carry all of the luggage. Arthur was left carrying Emma and following after his husband as they navigated through the halls of the hotel to their room. They wasted no time in getting settled in and unpacked, thoroughly exhausted from their trip. Alfred had ordered room service for dinner, which they all ate sleepily while watching some Italian movie (none of them having a clue what was going on in it). Bellies full, the family curled up in bed and finally fell asleep for the night.

The following morning, Arthur woke the other two up bright and early so that they would have enough time to get dressed and ready. The British nation spent a great deal of time fussing over the way his suit looked (it was sticking out just a tad bit too far in the front, hinting strongly at his pregnancy), and it was only with a great deal of coaxing on Alfred's part that they found themselves entering through the doors of the meeting room on time.

The moment they stepped foot in the room, however, they were assaulted by the two Italian nations, who rushed at them so quickly that the rest of the room seemed to stand still because of their sheer speed. All at once, the two of them started speaking (actually, it was more like yelling on Lovino's part and crying on Feliciano's), their attention directed at Arthur. Bushy brows furrowed as the Briton glared at the pair, trying to get them to calm down. "Speak English! I can't understand a bloody word you're saying!"

Lovino was the first to switch, grabbing Arthur by the front of his shirt and pulling him close. Chocolate eyes burned into emerald green as he screeched out sentences that barely made any sense with the speed with which he was yelling them. "It's all your fault! I know you had something to do with it, you tea bastard! Reverse it! Take this curse off of me!"

"I'm scared, vee! I don't know what to do, Arthur!" Feliciano added, tears running down his face.

It was at this point that Antonio and Ludwig stepped in to help, pulling the Italians away from the very confused Briton. Lovino continued to struggle in Antonio's grip, cursing at him in his native language while throwing vicious glances in Arthur's direction. Feliciano simply dissolved into tears, clinging to Ludwig's jacket and wailing loudly.

"D-Did I miss something?" Alfred asked, setting Emma down so that she could go and greet her other uncles. "What the heck's goin' on?"

"I would like to know the same thing." Arthur replied, arms folded over his chest. Really, this was the last thing he was expecting when he entered the room that day.

"Don't play dumb!" Lovino shouted, cheeks red from the effort. He always looked like a child throwing a tantrum when he was angry. "You know exactly what you did, damnit!"

"Fratello, you don't have to be so mean."

"Si, Lovi. Calm down."

"Shut up! Both of you! Don't tell me how to act!"

Seeing as the Italians were now busy arguing amongst themselves, Alfred and Arthur turned on Ludwig, knowing he would give them the answers they needed. The German nation appeared to be very nervous and tired. He hardly even had the strength to pull the Italians apart when Lovino launched himself at Feliciano in a vain attempt to strangle him. The younger of the two ran to hide behind Ludwig, stopping Lovino in his tracks.

Making a fist, Lovino glared around Ludwig, still screaming at his brother. "Don't hide behind that potato bastard!"

"What's going on?" Arthur asked, looking up into Ludwig's bright blue eyes (which seemed to be a bit faded today). "Why are they acting this way?"

Ludwig let out a great sigh, shoulders visibly sagging. "We really don't know how it happened, but they're blaming you since, well-"

"Since it's his fault!"

"Lovi!"

"Can you shut up long enough for me to tell them what's going on?" Ludwig bellowed, causing the room to fall into silence. At the far corner of the conference table, Latvia shuddered violently and leaned closer to Lithuania, who held his younger brother protectively and frowned.

Alfred grinned, looking around at all the terrified nations and noticing that not one of them appeared brave enough to say another word. It had even stopped Lovino in his tracks (he was now cowering behind Antonio). Alfred wished he could have that kind of power over everyone, but no one took him seriously enough.

"They're pregnant."

Arthur choked on air, eyes wide. Had he heard that correctly? Beside him, Alfred looked just as shocked, though he did manage to shout "WHAT?" quite loudly. He guessed he had heard correctly.

As if to verify it, Ludwig spoke up again. "They're pregnant. Both of them." His eyes traveled from Feliciano over to Lovino, who shuddered under his stare but managed to glare furiously back at him. "Antonio and I have been trying to come up with a logical reason for it, but as you already know that's very difficult since we are quite sure they are both males."

Everything suddenly began to fall into place as the gears in Arthur's brain turned. "So, you're saying this has something to do with magic?"

"It would seem to be the only explanation. It was how you became pregnant, correct?"

"Well, yes," Arthur answered, turning a bit pink. He really wished he could sit down. This was all too much. "But it happened to me because the fae were acting on a subconscious wish-" Green eyes widened to twice their normal size as they scanned the room, locking on his daughter. Emma was sitting on Matthew's lap, playing with his glasses and giggling quietly. "I think I know what might have happened."

"And so, you see, the fae were simply acting upon Emma's wish for children around her own age to play with. I-I guess the fairies may have gone a bit overboard this time, and I apologize that you have been involved in this as well, however, I'm afraid there isn't a way to reverse it…"

The room fell into silence after Arthur's explanation. He had told them everything; from Emma's wish to his pregnancy to the reason why the Italian's had wound up in the same position as him. Every nation watched as he spoke, their eyes never leaving him for a second. It seemed the whole room was holding its breath, waiting for someone to be the first to speak and break the ice. Arthur squeezed Alfred's hand under the table, shooting him a nervous look and receiving a small smile in response.

"What is so 'orrible about more nations 'aving children?" Francis spoke up, rising out of his chair. He smiled warmly around the room, his eyes landing on Alfred and Arthur having looked at everyone. "Most of you said you would love to 'ave children of your own, and now that it seems that is possible you are in a frenzy!"

The breath caught in Arthur's throat. Was Francis standing up for him? Was he admitting to the existence of the fairies? This was so unlike him that Arthur had to suspect an ulterior motive, though he could not come up with any at the moment.

"Francis is right!" Antonio spoke up, brilliant smiling lighting up his side of the table. "I am thrilled that I am going to be a padre! I do not care how it happened, but if it is truly due to fairies then I guess I must thank them."

Lovino growled beside him, arms folded over his chest and a pout on his face. Beside him, Feliciano appeared to be smiling softly, perhaps rethinking his situation. He did want a child with Ludwig, after all, he had just been a bit shocked and unprepared. He never thought it would happen to him!

"Vee! We should be thankful to Emma for making that wish!"

Blushing violently, Emma hid her face in Matthew's sweatshirt, smiling shyly. Matthew pat her back and smiled down at her, kissing the top of her head.

"Do you think this means all of us can now have children, Arthur-san?" Kiku questioned, thinking about things from a more logical point of view.

"It may just pertain to the three of them, aru." Yao brought up.

"If it does it's, like, tots unfair!" Feliks argued, leaning forward on the table.

"Does it mean even female nations can reproduce now?" Ukraine asked shyly, a light blush painting her cheeks.

Once again, all attention was turned on Arthur, who was starting to get used to it. "I'm not sure how to answer any of those questions," he replied as calmly as possible. "I suppose we'll just have to sit back and see what happens."

"In the meantime, I suggest those nations who wish to avoid pregnancy use protection from now on." Ludwig brought up, not the least bit embarrassed to say this out loud. If it could stop an unwanted pregnancy and save a nation a great deal of trouble then it needed to be brought up. "In fact, I think it would be wise if we went over sex education."

A few giggles floated into the air, many nations turning red as cherries, but the majority of them agreed. Matthew had stood up to take Emma out of the room, which Arthur thanked him for, knowing what was about to happen.

"Ah, and who better to teach us about such things than myself?" Francis rose from his chair and approached the large blackboard at the front of the conference room. "We will start with the basics!"

Arthur could feel another headache coming on…

A/N: Oh dear, this chapter took me MONTHS to complete. I have a reason for it, and if you're wondering what that reason is, then head on over here. It'll have all my wonderful excuses, plus some new updates about the story and links to other things I'm working on!

Thanks to everyone for sticking with me! I'm not going to give up on this, since it's very dear to me. Updates may be slow, but I promise it'll get done!


	4. Chapter 4

Alfred lay on the couch, taking up as much space as humanly possible, as he mindlessly flipped through channels for lack of something better to do. The days following the conference had been hectic, but boring. Nations were constantly calling and asking questions about pregnancy and fairy curses, which was driving Arthur out of his mind. Ludwig and Antonio had called so many times that Alfred had threatened to block both of their numbers-honestly, did they need the English speaking countries to hold their hands throughout the next nine months until their babies were born? To make matters worse, they were now receiving pregnancy scare calls. Feliks had called them several times, in completely hysterics, saying he thought he might be pregnant because he had taken a liking to some food he had never tried before in his life. Arthur had sent him off to buy a test, which came up negative, calming the Polish nation down for another day or so when he called back with yet another complaint. However, every time he took a test it came up negative, meaning that he was simply blowing things too far out of proportion.

Arthur, in the meanwhile, had made some progress on his own pregnancy. His stomach had quickly started to dome and his cravings were getting stronger every day. He would make frequent trips to the kitchen, putting together whatever he felt like devouring at that particular moment. Emma found this to be quite funny since no normal person would want to eat sandwiches with toppings such as chocolate chips, crushed nuts, the spiciest peppers known to man, salsa, and soy sauce. It seemed like Arthur's pregnancy had taken an international turn recently.

The American could hear his husband in the kitchen at that very moment, searching through the refrigerator for something grotesque to snack on. He also heard Arthur sighing heavily every few seconds, leading to a sinking feeling in his gut. He twirled a lock of Emma's curly blonde hair around his finger, staring down at the girl sleeping on top of him (she claimed that he was comfy, which in Alfred's words meant he was gaining weight).

Suddenly, Arthur appeared in the doorway, one hand splayed out on his little stomach. "There's nothing to eat."

Craning his neck, Alfred looked over at the angry Briton, hand slipping down to rub Emma's back. The young girl shifted in her sleep and clutched her father's shirt a bit more tightly in her little fist. "Seriously? Didn't I just go shopping like…three days ago?"

Arthur turned bright red at this, heading for his chair to sit down. "I-I've been more hungry than usual, you know that."

Alfred smiling at this. He knew first hand just how hungry Arthur had been lately. He was devouring almost everything in sight and his appetite was starting to rival Alfred's own. It was just as it had been when he was pregnant with Emma. "I'll go shopping."

Blushing more deeply, Arthur gave an appreciative smile, watching as Alfred shifted and tried to figure out a way to get out from underneath Emma without waking her. Unfortunately, she hadn't been in such a deep sleep and her green eyes opened the moment Alfred lifted her off of him. Groggily, she stretched and yawned, pushing herself up on the couch as Alfred sat down next to her.

"Go back to sleep, Emma bear."

Curious green eyes met her father's soft smile. "Where are you going, daddy?"

"Daddy has to go shopping," Alfred answered, running his fingers through Emma's hair in an attempt to tame it. "We're out of food again."

As if a switch had been turned, Emma's sleep clouded eyes suddenly cleared and she became wide awake. "Can I come?" Never before had the world seen a child so excited about doing such a boring chore as shopping for groceries. Emma absolutely loved to help out with anything she could and didn't find meager everyday tasks to be a bore.

Alfred looked over his shoulder at Arthur. The two never made a decision unless they were both for it (that way Alfred wouldn't get in trouble for making stupid choices). Only once Alfred received the okay did he turn back to his daughter with a wide smile. "Sure! Let's go get your shoes and jacket."

Since the cart was overflowing with bags, Emma was forced to walk along side it as they left the store and headed for the car. Alfred looked down at her every few minutes to make sure she was still there, and she would smile up at him and hold onto the metal frame of the cart, helping him push it. She had helped him throughout the whole trip and had been extra patient, so he had bought her a little treat. Emma gripped onto her grape lollipop, happy to have such a tasty reward for coming along.

Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks. It took Alfred several seconds to realized that she was no longer beside him, and when he looked back he found her curiously staring into an alleyway. "Emma?" He brought the cart to a stop and slowly walked to her. "What is it, Em?"

Standing just a few feet away from them was a little girl with fiery red hair and large chocolate brown eyes. Her clothes were torn, her feet lacked shoes, and she had no jacket to shield her from the cold elements of the approaching winter. Once she caught sight of them, she shyly ducked behind a garbage can, peeking out a few seconds later to see if they had gone.

Concerned, Alfred stepped into the alley and cautiously approached the child. "Where are your parents, little girl?" Perhaps she had gotten lost out here? Or maybe she had even run away from home.

The girl's eyes widened and she quickly ducked back behind the garbage can. That was when Emma stepped forward, walking straight past her father and stopping directly in front of the girl's protective barrier. She peeked around the side of it, catching the girl's eye and smiling brightly. "Hi!" she chirped. "I'm Emma! What's your name?"

The fear slowly melted out of her eyes and the little girl moved away from the trash can. Apparently, she felt much less threatened by Emma than she did Alfred. "Rose…" she softly replied, standing up straight. She was taller than Emma and looked to be a little bit older. "M-My name is Rose."

A smile touched Alfred's lips and he released a sigh he hadn't realized he was holding in. If Emma could break through this girl's walls then perhaps he would be able to figure out why it was that she was in this alleyway all by herself. He needed to return her to her parents or where ever it was that she belonged.

"That's a pretty name!" Emma replied, giggling. "Is your name Rose cause your hair is a pretty red color like roses?"

"I guess…"

"Neat!" Emma then remembered the question her father had originally tried asking. Maybe if she asked, then Rose would tell her. "How come you're not with your mummy and daddy?"

Rose looked down at her feet, playing with the bottom of her torn dress. She didn't seem distressed, only a little bit timid. Alfred took this as a good sign. "I-I don't have parents."

Okay. That was _not _what he was expecting to hear. This little girl had no parents? She was out here all alone with no one to care for her? How did she feed herself? What would happen if some creepy person decided to pick her up? What happened if she got sick? Alfred had to do something about this! He was a hero and he wouldn't allow people to suffer, especially children.

"I'm sorry," Emma said softly. She then held out her hand for Rose and smiled. "Do you want my lollipop?"

It took no time at all for Rose to smile right back. She looked down at the treat, about ready to take it before she realized that that might not be the best thing to do. "Really?"

"Uh huh." Emma replied, depositing the sweet into her new friend's hand.

Rose's smile lit up the entire alleyway, managing to pour right through Alfred's chest to touch his heart. Yes, he would do something to help this little girl. He bent down and tapped Emma on the shoulder, whispering something into her ear.

"Good idea, daddy!" Emma faced front once more and put on her best smile. "Wanna come have dinner with us? We'll make lots of yummy food! You'll like it, Rosie, I promise!"

Rosie. She had just met this girl and already she had acquired a nickname. How could she turn down Emma's kindness?

Hesitantly, Rose reached out and took Emma by the hand. "Okay."

"Let me get this straight," Arthur started, staring his husband down even with his slight height disadvantage. "You went to the grocery store with Emma like I asked you."

"Uh huh."

"And you found a little girl in the parking lot."

"Actually, she was in the alleyway."

"Whatever, Alfred. The point is that you found a little girl who seemingly had no home and you decided to bring her here with you."

"Yeah. So?"

Arthur heaved a sigh and sank into one of the kitchen chairs. "Did it ever occur to you that this is kidnapping? This little girl obviously has to belong to someone! You should have brought her to the police station so they could call her parents!"

Pushing himself from the doorframe of the kitchen, Alfred walked over to the table, spun one of the chairs around, and straddled it backwards. He rested his chin on his arms on the top of the wooden seat, blue eyes pouring sadly into the acidic green ones of his husband. "But she looked so sad! What kind of a hero would I be if I brought her to some scary place like a police station or an orphanage?"

Arthur bristled. Just _how _hard was it to get through to him? "She isn't some puppy you can pluck off the streets and take home with you, Alfred. She's a human child! Do you even realize the dangers of bringing her here?" A quirk of a blonde eyebrow was enough to prompt Arthur to continue. "The baby, Alfred. One look at me and she could know the truth! You're lucky I'm wearing one of your shirts today!"

"Okay, now you're being the ridiculous one," Alfred laughed, reaching out and poking Arthur's cheek. "She's just a kid, Iggy! She's barely even older than Em! There's no way she would notice something like that."

Swatting his hand away, Arthur turned as red as a strawberry and continued his unpleasant glaring, trying to break through Alfred's obliviously happy demeanor. "That's beside the point."

"And what _is _the point?"

Arthur felt his fingers flex and the almost uncontrollable urge to wrap them around Alfred's neck and squeeze to his heart's content nearly took over. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "The point is that we should be calling the authorities and trying to locate her parents-"

"Which she doesn't have," Alfred spoke up, hands toying idly with the salt shaker left on the table from last night's dinner. "She already told Emma and I everything about herself. There's not much to learn. She's been in that alleyway for as long as she can remember, all alone. I think she has some kinda amnesia or something."

Arthur frowned, considering this. Rose didn't seem to have any external injuries that would indicate any kind of brain trauma, but then again he wasn't exactly an expert when it came to these kinds of things. She was merely a poor child with no home, no food, and no parents, who had become lost in the world. Arthur really couldn't blame Alfred for taking her back with him, but he really wished the American had more sense when it came to things like this.

"Daddy?"

Turning his head, Arthur noticed Emma standing in the doorway, holding Rose's hand and looking a bit worried. "Rosie's tummy is rumbling. Can we help make dinner?"

Arthur locked eyes with the mysterious girl standing beside his daughter. The second they had arrived home, Emma had hastily introduced them, almost slipped up and calling him her mother in front of Rose. Luckily, Emma was a smart little girl and quickly corrected her mistake, using the proper name which Arthur had taught her to address him by when they were in front of "normal people". He couldn't have his daughter calling him "mummy" in front of every day people, so he had trained Emma to call him her "papa" when she was in public.

He wasn't able to make a proper assessment on Rose since he hadn't spent enough time with her (Emma had whisked her off to her room the moment after introductions were through), but from what he could tell she was a sweet child. She was shy and withdrawn, which was natural for someone coming from her situation. She seemed to be warming up to Emma faster than the others, though she did give him a polite smile when they were introduced.

Then there was something else Arthur was able to pick up on. Something that lay hidden deep within-something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He was unable to pinpoint exactly what it is, or why it felt so strange, but he had the feeling that Rose was different from other girls. He felt drawn to her, wanting to find out more about her, wanting to reach out and protect her even though they had only just met.

Pushing these thoughts aside, Arthur surmised that it was merely a side effect of his rapidly changing hormones.

"Sure!" Alfred replied, rising from his chair and smiling down at the girls, who both smiled back. Alfred had always been great with children. "What kind of awesome dinner should we make for Rose?"

"Let's make hamburgers!" Emma chirped, rocking forwards onto her tiptoes. She turned to Rose excitedly, blonde curls bouncing. "My daddy is from America! That's why he talks different."

"Differently," Arthur corrected.

"Differently." Emma repeated, looking back up at her father. "Can we make hamburgers, daddy?"

Placing his hands on his hips, Alfred bent down, a twinkle in his eyes. "Only if you two promise to help me!"

Emma cheered, making Rose smile, and that mysterious feeling washed over Arthur again. He had to get to the root of it-but first, he had to contact the authorities and find out if Rose's parents were indeed deceased.

"Right. Yes. Thank you very much. Goodbye."

With a sigh, Arthur hung up the bedroom phone and lay back on the bed. He uncapped the marker in his hand and crossed off the last orphanage on the list he had received from the police station. He had just spent the last hour calling up all of these numbers, giving out Rose's description and hoping that he would find the clues he needed to piece together the girl's past. Unfortunately, Rose was neither a missing child nor a child who had belonged to an orphanage at any point in time. It seemed as if her past had been erased-as if she had just appeared in the alleyway today for the first time, unaware that she had never existed yesterday.

"I just don't get it…"

Thundering footsteps were heard, followed by the bedroom door flying open. Alfred peered inside, smiling broadly. "Dinner's done, Iggy."

Looking up, Arthur met his eye, giving him a half smile. He shifted on the bed, putting his notepad and marker away and sitting up. He looked crestfallen, which was more than enough to make Alfred press him for answers.

The blue-eyed nation slowly entered the room, his smile falling from his lips as he sat down beside his husband and wrapped an arm around his waist. "No luck?"

Arthur shook his head, eyes boring into the wall in front of him. "No one has ever seen a five year old girl with red hair, brown eyes and freckles named Rose. It's like she only exists to us."

"Well then, I guess we're all she's got, huh?"

His heart nearly stopped in his chest, the impact of those words nearly shattering the very Earth beneath him. This little girl who they had only known for mere hours was now their responsibility, just like Emma was-that was what Alfred was saying, what he was trying to get at. Suddenly, Arthur was able to see right through his plan. "We can't keep her, Alfred."

That kicked puppy look came over the American as Alfred rested his chin on Arthur's shoulder, eyes pouring into Arthur's own. "Why not?"

Why not? Shouldn't that have been obvious enough? A child was a great responsibility-hadn't Alfred learned that with Emma? They had enough to worry about with the one child that they had already and the new baby on the way, and now Alfred wanted them to open up their house and hearts to Rose as well?

He had been ready to protest, honestly he had, but something foreign took over, redirecting the words that were coming out of his mouth. "We'll see."

Alfred smiled.

After dinner came bath time, that was always the way it went. Arthur knew that he would have his work cut out for him tonight. While Alfred was cleaning the kitchen, he took Emma and Rose upstairs into the bathroom and ran them a nice, warm, bath. He had guessed this was a very new experience for Rose, since she seemed to be extra hesitant of the water, but once she saw how eagerly Emma climbed into the tub she soon followed suit.

"The water isn't scary, Rosie. It's fun!"

Rose stared down at the water around them, which had quickly turned black with the amount of dirt that had been caked on her body. She frowned at it, jumping a bit as Arthur pulled the plug to the drain, replacing the dirty water with fresh water. This happened three more times before the water stayed a relatively clear color and Arthur was able to start washing the girls' hair.

"We'll wash Emma's hair first," Arthur told Rose, smiling softly at her. "That way you'll see that it's nothing to be scared of."

Rose smiled right back at him and nodded. "Okay."

Feeling a warmth gathering in his chest, Arthur set to work washing out Emma's hair. He applied shampoo, bubbling it up and showing Rose the foamy bubbles, which she giggled over, squishing them between her hands. The sounds of her laughter bounced off the tiled walls, a beautiful sound which was soon joined by Emma's familiar giggling. Arthur found himself laughing along with the girls as he washed the suds from Emma's hair.

"Look up to the moon."

Emma tipped her head back, shutting her eyes and pretending she was sky rocketing through space to go and swing off a crescent moon. "If you look up to the moon the bubbles won't get in your eyes," she told Rose, smiling at her once Arthur began applying the conditioner.

Rose laughed and smiled, watching as Arthur carefully combed out Emma's hair. He was so gentle, so caring, and that look in his eyes gave her great comfort. She had never met a person like him before and she really hoped that she would get to spend more time with him. Vaguely, she wondered what it would be like to have parents like Emma's. How wonderful would it be to wake up every morning knowing that two parents who loved you were there to spend the day with you and take care of you? She longed to experience that life-something she had never thought of before.

When it finally came time for her to have her hair washed, she was a bit frightened, but Emma took hold of her hand, and the sound of Arthur's soft voice filled her ears as she tipped her head back and clamped her eyes shut.

"I won't hurt you, Rosie."

She truly believed that. She was safe here with these people. They wouldn't leave her to fend for herself, out in the cold with no food and no clothing. They had taken her into their home, fed her, cleaned her up, and given her more attention than anyone had in her entire life.

For the first time ever, Rose felt as if she had some place she belonged.

A/N: Oooh, I threw a COMPLETE curveball at you guys! Bet you weren't expecting that, huh? HAH! *laughs obnoxiously like Alfred* Now, before you go asking questions, I'm going to say that I won't answer them if they pertain to Rose. For one, I'm just getting used to writing her-she's my girlfriend's OC who I have fallen deeply in love with. You'll just have to wait until the next chapter to see what the future holds for her!

Thanks so much for reading and sticking with me! You guys have no idea how much it means to me, really. I feel honored that people enjoy this story and want me to continue it. I promise it'll get done!

Oh! One more random thing-it's my birthday on March 26th! I'm gonna be 23! Yaaay!


	5. Chapter 5

Once both girls were clean and dry, Arthur helped them into pajamas while Alfred locked the house up tight. Luckily, Rose was just about Emma's size, and fit into one of her spare nightgowns. Carefully, Arthur combed their hair- making sure to work through the many knots and snarls in Rose's hair before pulling it into a braid and tying it with a blue ribbon.

"There," he said softly, kissing Emma's cheek, then Rose's, "You two are as pretty as princesses."

"Thank you, Mummy," Emma said, returning the kiss. Rose only blushed and smiled softly.

"Everything's locked up tight," Alfred said, approaching the three other occupants of the house. He knelt down and looked Rose in the eye with a smile. "That means nothing can get in, and we're all safe, so you can sleep and have good dreams, alright?"

Rose nodded, and looked over at Emma. She felt like she should do something nice, like give Alfred a hug or a kiss. Emma gave her a bright smile, and Rose rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet before she stumbled forwards and awkwardly wrapped her arms around Alfred.

The American froze for a moment in surprise before he reciprocated the hug. Rose felt so small and skinny, even compared to Emma, and it only made him more determined to help her.

"And that means that it is bedtime," Arthur said, "Emma, is it alright if Rose sleeps in your room for a little while?"

"Mmmhm!" Emma hummed excitedly. Alfred released Rose from the hug and laughed, giving Emma a hug as well.

"Alright, well why don't you two girls go with Arthur to pick out a story, and I'll go get a sleeping bag and some pillows for Rosie. Your bed's a little too small for two, Em," he added, before his daughter could suggest anything.

The girls were shuffled off with Arthur, and Alfred went to find the softest, warmest sleeping bag they had, along with the fluffiest spare pillows. It wasn't fair- he wanted to give Rosie a bed. But even if they could just magically whip one up, it wouldn't be fair to give her something so permanent if they might have to take it away later. He'd have to talk to Arthur- to convince him one hundred percent that they could take care of Rose and the new baby and Emma all together. It would be okay, he knew it! And at least Arthur had said 'we'll see', rather than an outright 'no'; Arthur's 'we'll see's had always been almost as good as a yes.

By the time Rosie was all set up in Emma's room, it almost felt normal- like Em was having her first sleep-over, rather than bringing home a new sister that Alfred wanted to keep forever and ever and never let get hurt again. And Alfred was sure Emma was magic- already, she had Rosie smiling more brightly than before, and not shying away from goodnight hugs and kisses.

Almost as soon as he and Arthur stepped out, Alfred could hear muffled giggles coming from inside their daughter's bedroom. Emma's he recognized, and it took him a moment to comprehend that the other voice was Rose's. He looked over at Arthur with a small, hopeful smile. Arthur flashed him a sad smile in return.

"Alfred…"

"Please, Arthur. She doesn't have anywhere else to go. She's _happy _here."

"Alfred, she could have parents out there. How would you feel if we lost Emma and someone else adopted her?" Arthur asked, leading them back to their own bedroom.

"No one's reported her missing," Alfred said, "_No one,_ Arthur."

Arthur's shoulders tensed as he undressed for bed, and Alfred came up behind him to wrap his arms around his belly, and rest his chin on his husband's shoulder. Arthur sighed.

"She can stay for a little while," he finally relented, using the same tone of voice that he had when Alfred was only a little colony, and brought home a new bunny-friend to love, "I'll- I'll look into her past, and any paperwork that we need to fill out."

"Aw, Arthur, you're the best!"

"-But, if she has a family that wants her back, she's going back, do you hear me? So no mentioning this to either one of the girls until we know for sure, alright?"

"Mmmhm!"

* * *

The next morning Rose woke up from a nightmare, breathing hard and shaking. She couldn't remember the dream, only that it was scary, but when she woke up a little more, her heart started pounding again.

Her borrowed nightgown and sleeping bag were wet and cold. She closed her eyes tightly and held her breath, trying not to cry or wake anyone up. Maybe she was still having a bad dream. But the wetness didn't go away, and she let out a little sob unwillingly.

"…Rose? Rosie?"

Emma climbed out of bed and sat next to the other little girl, giving her shoulder a little shake. Rose flinched and covered her face- now as red as her hair.

"Oh, you had an accident, didn't you?"

Emma's voice wasn't mean or angry, but Rose cried a little harder as she nodded. It was embarrassing, and she'd gotten the nice things Alfred and Arthur had given her- and Emma's nightgown- dirty. They wouldn't like her anymore. They'd make her leave the house, and she'd be all alone again.

"Rose?"

Another voice. Arthur. When had Arthur gotten there? Emma must have gone to get him. Rose simply tried to shrink further into herself, but gentle hands pulled her close and petted her hair. She smelled tea, and something else that she couldn't put her finger on, but she knew that it meant that Arthur hadn't been up long before he came in.

"There there, Rosie," Arthur said softly, "It's alright. Nothing we can't clean up. Alfred will put the sleeping bag in the wash with your nightgown, and I'll help you wash up, and then we'll have some breakfast. Do you like pancakes?"

Rose nodded, still too mortified to talk. She could hear Alfred cleaning up the sleeping bag, and asking Emma to help him with breakfast.

"Good- Emma likes them as well, and I must say, they are a type of food that Alfred cooks remarkably well. Even if they are drowning in butter and syrup."

"Hey! That's what makes them taste so good!"

"Yes, well, let's go get washed up, shall we?" Arthur asked, "I'm afraid you'll have to walk, Rose, I can't carry you. There's a girl."

Arthur kissed her cheek as she stood up, and shuffled her off to the bathroom to wash and get dressed. She missed the way that he glanced over at Alfred, a strange, reluctant smile on his face.

Once she was cleaned up and freshly dressed, Arthur brought her back out to the kitchen, where Emma had already set the table, and was eagerly waiting for the breakfast that Alfred had promised. The kitchen was warm, and it smelled like bacon, and the sharp smell of coffee.

"Almost done," Alfred said, pouring both girls a glass of orange juice, and handing a cup of tea over to Arthur.

"Thank you, Love," Arthur murmured, giving his husband a small smile.

"It, um…" A small voice said, "It smells really good. I can't wait for breakfast. Thank you f-for everything."

Both nations turned to look at the Rose, whose whole face was a bright strawberry-red. She quickly took a gulp of her orange juice, even as Emma hugged her tightly.

"It does smell good, doesn't it?" she chirped, "It always does!"

"Yes, yes it does," Arthur murmured, "And you're wyou'murmured, "elcome. We're very glad to have you here."

As Alfred served breakfast, Arthur kept a close eye on the girl in his daughter's clothes. They fit her well enough, sure, but there was something off about it. Like she wasn't wearing them properly, even though he had dressed her himself. She was too careful for a girl her age not to get her clothes dirty- her movements stiff and unnatural. Like she was wearing priceless silks instead of the simple cottons usually reserved for children.

Then it hit him.

"Rosie? How would you like some clothes of your own?"

* * *

"I thought you said we weren't going to be able to keep her forever," Alfred whispered to Arthur as they strolled through the little girl's section of the department store. The British nation was hiding beneath multiple layers to conceal his baby bulge, but he had refused to stay home, saying that if he left it up to Alfred, Rose's clothes would all be too-bright and mismatched. Not to mentioned that he'd likely spoil them with sweets.

"I said we _might _not be able to adopt her," Arthur sniffed, watching Emma pull Rose through the rows of racks of clothes and point out the ones that she thought were pretty. Slowly, Rose began to pull Emma in other directions, showing off her own tastes.

"And she ought to have her own clothes, anyways. If she must leave, then she can take her clothes with her. It'll be better than sending her off in the rags she came to us in."

"Yeah, I guess you have a point," Alfred said, smiling as Rose and Emma waited by a certain rack of clothes, unable to reach to take them down. The outfit displayed was sweet and girly, but not too frilly. Striding over, he picked up the proper size from the rack.

"Is this one you want?" he asked, holding the outfit to Rose. The little girl nodded, a shy smile breaking out on her face.

"Alright, go find some more, okay?" he said, "You can't just wear one outfit all the time, no matter how much you like it. Er, well, I suppose you can, but it's not much fun."

The two girls nodded again, and then darted off, leaving Alfred holding a cute lilac-colored dress. Yeah, he was still getting used to little-girl stuff, but he was an awesome dad! This was nothing. He looked around for Arthur, wondering if his husband would notice how awesome he was being. He couldn't see him anywhere in the girl's department, but he did spot a familiar blond mop of hair off in the infant's department nearby. He grinned, feeling a little goofy as he thought about the new life growing within the British nation.

A short while later, they exited the department store with several new, mostly purple, outfits for Rose, hair ribbons for both of the girls, and a few newborn onesies carefully kept hidden from Rose's eyes. They couldn't risk letting her know about the baby, not if she might leave and spread the word to other people. Alfred had to mentally applaud Emma for not spilling the beans yet.

As soon as they were home, Arthur ordered Alfred to take all the tags off Rose's clothes and wash them. As the British nation puttered off to his office, Alfred grumbled _bossy_ at his retreating back, but with little heat. After all, Arthur going so quickly to his office with no mention of his government, and how they couldn't do anything without him seemed to bode well. Turning to the girls, still holding shopping bags in both hands, Alfred grinned.

"Hey, Em, why don't you show Rose our collection of Superman movies?" he suggested, "Or you could watch the Justice League cartoon. And then you guys can help me with lunch, okay? How does ravioli sound?"

"Okay, Daddy!" Emma chirped, taking Rose's hand and pulling her towards the living room. Alfred watched her pull out the correct DVDs, laying them out on the floor for Rose to choose from, and he couldn't help but think what it would be like when they were truly sisters. Shaking his head, he wandered down to the laundry room.

Arthur didn't come down for lunch, or dinner. In fact, the only times that Alfred saw him that day were the few times he came downstairs a fresh pot of tea. He seemed to be in a good mood, though, as he accepted both Rose and Emma's drawing of 'princess-superheroes' with a warm smile. Alfred's hopes inched up a little higher.

He finally came down in time to tuck them in, and when both girls were sleeping soundly in Emma's room, and he and Alfred were lying in bed, Arthur couldn't help but smile.

"Any guesses as to why I was locked up all day?" he teased. Alfred merely snuggled closer.

"Hm… is it about our little guest?" he asked.

Arthur hummed and nodded happily.

"They want to take a couple of weeks to consider it," he said quietly, "But… I think that they're going to say yes."

* * *

It wasn't long before Rose became situated within the family. She had taken to following Arthur everywhere, except when Emma pulled her away to play, and even calling him 'Mummy' after Emma had finally slipped up. She hadn't even questioned it, though Arthur suspected that was because she hadn't had parents of her own, nor had she had very much interaction with many other people. She was still very young and impressionable-no one had taught her that mothers were usually women.

Arthur was the one she ran to after she had a night terror and wet the bed , the only one she allowed to comb her hair because she knew that he would never hurt her, and the one who she insisted had to read them stories at night after the first few nights of being captivated by Peter Pan. Alfred was, naturally, quite jealous.

"_She loves you more than me!" he pouted one afternoon. His front half was sprawled over the kitchen table, crying dramatically to Arthur as he read the paper and concentrated on ignoring him. It was becoming increasingly difficult due to the American's loud sighs._

"_She loves us both equally," he replied, sipping his tea. He thanked all the Gods he could think of for not taking away his ability to enjoy his precious tea. It still tasted as wonderful as it always had, despite the fact that the rest of his appetite had changed quite drastically._

"_No!" Alfred quickly argued, lifting his head. His blue eyes looked almost desperate. "Rose follows you around like you're her mother!"_

_Arthur raised one bushy brow and set the paper down. Clearly, he wasn't going to be able to read as he had wanted to. "Perhaps it's because you and Emma insist that I _am _the mother."_

"_You like it."_

"_Never said I didn't, love."_

It was only a couple of weeks later, when there was a manila envelope in the mail. Knowing exactly what it was, Arthur let the girls carefully open it and read the official adoption documents out loud. When he had finished, he watched the girls, letting it sink in.

"Mummy… does this mean that I can stay forever?" Rose asked. Arthur nodded and Emma hugged Rose tightly.

The American nation was reading a letter of his own- from his government if the seal on the envelope was anything to go by. He looked too serious for such a happy occasion.

"Oh, Rosie! You're part of the family now!" she cheered. Arthur grinned and looked over at Alfred, who had been suspiciously quiet during all the excitement .

"Alfred?"

"Huh? Oh! Come 'ere you too!" Alfred said, scooping up both the girls and taking his personal phone out of his pocket, "We need a picture! Arthur, you get in here too. Everyone say cheese!"

* * *

Arthur frowned at his reflection, tugging furiously on the bottom of his shirt in an attempt to pull it down over his belly bump. It was no use- the sweater vests he once wore just wouldn't cut it anymore. His stomach was growing so rapidly that none of his old clothes fit him any more (at least, none of his presentable clothes) and he was left with nothing but t-shirts and the old maternity jeans that Matthew had bought him when he was pregnant with Emma. He put them on and looked himself over, hands exploring the rounded stomach that looked so unlike his own.

Why did he keep these? He guessed he had been too busy taking care of Emma to actually throw them out. It wasn't as if he had kept them as a keepsake, and he certainly didn't hold on to them in the hopes that he would need to wear them again.

"Uhm… Mummy?"

Whirling around, Arthur was met by a pair of large, curious, brown eyes staring up at him strangely. He blushed furiously and tried to cover his stomach up with the shirt in his hands. Why the idea of putting the shirt on never came to him, he would never know.

"R-Rosie! I didn't see you there, love!"

The little girl tilted her head to the side, red curls cascading over her shoulder.

"Why's your belly so big?" she asked, pointing a finger at Arthur's stomach. She couldn't remember him looking that fat when she had first met him.

He was like a deer caught in the headlights. What was he supposed to do? Rose had finally begun noticing the changes in his body- he could no longer hide them from her. Perhaps it was finally time to tell her what was going on. Smiling softly, Arthur walked over to the bed and sat down, patting the spot beside him.

"Come sit with me, Rosie. I have something very important to tell you."

Rose's face lit up in a smile. She loved it when she got to spend time with Arthur alone, and she especially loved it when he "had something important to tell her". She had no doubt that this news would be as good as the last news she had received.

Once Arthur had gained her full attention, he cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks starting to burn. It was always embarrassing telling people of his condition, but it was even more difficult explaining it to a child who hardly knew what pregnancy was in the first place.

"W-Well, Rosie. Y-You see, mummy looks this way because something very special is happening inside of my body right now."

This was even more difficult to explain due to the fact that Rose hardly understood the concept of nations and their personifications. Nor could she completely grasp the concept of fairies just yet. Arthur figured he could give his best explanation right now and then clear things up as she got older so she wouldn't remain confused.

"I'm going to have a baby."

Rose blinked and took a minute to think this news over.

"A baby?" she repeated, her eyes still riddled with confusion.

"Yes," Arthur replied, a hand subconsciously rubbing circles where his unborn babe lay, "Now, I know that you've probably heard that only women have babies, but since mummy and daddy are nations, we're special cases. We don't exactly know why we can have babies, and it's a relatively new thing. But you know that Emma is my daughter, so you can understand that mummy and daddy can have more babies, right?"

This logic seemed to make sense, especially in a child's eyes. If Arthur and Alfred had Emma, then they could have more babies. That made perfect sense.

"Uh huh!"

Arthur smiled softly at her, running a hand through her beautifully curled, flaming red hair.

"That means that this baby is going to be your new brother or sister, Rosie."

Gasping loudly, Rose's eyes flew to Arthur's middle. The baby that was in there was going to be her brother or sister? Just like how Emma was? She would get to play with this new baby just like she did with Emma?

"When can the new baby come out and play?" she asked, a smile lighting up her face.

Chuckling, Arthur decided it was high time he put his shirt on.

"Not for another few months. That will give you and Emma plenty of time to learn how to be big sisters."

He pushed himself to his feet, a hand going to his lower back- it had started to ache recently due to the added weight in his front.

"Now, why don't we go downstairs? Your Uncle Matthew and Uncle Francis should be here shortly so that we can celebrate."

Frowning a bit, Rose nodded and slipped from the bed. She gave Arthur one last look, receiving a soft smile in return, before she made her way downstairs. This new life was a bit overwhelming for her. She had a place to live, family members, new things to learn, and most recently; new people to meet. Rose had been introduced to Matthew and Francis shortly after she started living in Arthur's house. They had come over one day, excited to meet her- but she didn't quite feel the same.

Matthew was quiet and kind, so she didn't mind him all that much. However, Francis was boisterous, flirtatious, and rather outgoing, which made her shrink back with fear. He had attempted to scoop her up and kiss her cheeks upon their first meeting, something which Rose didn't enjoy at all. Arthur had spent a good half hour trying to calm her down and cursing Francis under his breath. It wasn't that she thought these new people were bad (they couldn't be if Emma loved them so much), it was just that it was much too overwhelming. That was why Alfred and Arthur decided to hold off on introducing her to anyone else until she became more comfortable with her surroundings.

Voices met her as she stepped off the last stair and walked into the sitting room- they were already here. Very slowly, Rose tiptoed into the room and stood in the doorway, peering around the corner at her new uncles: Francis was busy covering Emma's face with kisses while Matthew was conversing with Alfred. Matthew really did look a lot like Rose's new daddy- sometimes it was hard to tell them apart.

"Rosie!"

Snapping her head up, Rose realized that her father was calling her.

"Rosie, c'mere. Come say hello to your uncles."

She shook her head, hanging onto the doorway and blushing furiously. She didn't want to get tons of kisses or to be held by strangers.

A frown crossed Alfred's face as he walked over to his newest daughter and bent down in front of her.

"It's alright, pretty girl. I'll be right here with ya, okay?" Alfred reached forward, holding out his hand, which Rose stared at for several seconds before taking it. Alfred smiled down at her and stood back up, leading the way over to the other nations. As soon as they got close, however, Rose retreated behind Alfred's legs, peering around at her uncles.

Matthew took his time and crouched down, offering a soft smile.

"Hello, Rose. It's nice to see you again."

Brown eyes wandered up to her father who was looking down at her reassuringly.

"H-Hi." Rose responded, her voice barely above a whisper.

That certainly earned a smile from the Canadian.

"You're still feeling a bit shy, eh?"

Rose nodded.

"That's okay," Matthew continued, still smiling, "It's okay to be shy. You don't know us very well, after all. But Rosie, just know that your Uncle Francis and I love you very much, and we're very happy that you're a part of the family now."

They were happy? They loved her? Rose's eyes wandered from one blonde haired nation to the next, focusing on Francis for the first time that day. He too offered a sincere smile, one that was emitting its own warm glow. Rose felt herself calming down at the sight of so many happy faces. They were happy for her!

"Thank you!" she chirped, finally smiling back and creeping around in front of Alfred.

Francis gave a quiet laugh.

"I see our dear Arthur has already begun teaching you your manners."

Leave a child in Arthur's hands for a day and he would have them saying "please" and "thank you" in ten minutes- no matter how much Francis liked to tease him about being unmannered. He had probably already educated Rose on etiquette as well, seeing as he had a lot of time on his hands (it wasn't like he could leave the house much anymore).

"Actually, I have."

Everyone looked to the stairs, where Arthur stood, wearing a large sweatshirt of Alfred's and a smirk on his face.

"She's a very fast learner. I'm very proud of her."

A smile lit Rose's face as she rushed to Arthur and hugged him around the legs. Despite just seeing him several minute prior, she was thrilled to be with him again. Things always seemed less scary when Arthur was around, even if she knew that her new uncles were nice.

"Alfred, will you fetch us some refreshments?" Arthur asked gently, "We've got quite a bit of catching up to do."

* * *

**AN: **So chapter five is up! This marks the turning over of the fic from Colie to Kaylie, so I hope you guys all like it! I've also begun an ask blog over on tumblr, but I won't post the link just yet, since it's a little spoiler-y. Happy Alfred's birthday, guys!


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